Sleep Apnea Question
Topic 27220 | Page 1
From what I've gleaned from this site, (and you sure can search it, as well...) many if not most companies want to see 30 days of compliance of a minimum of x'numbers of sleep a night (not sure on that number, may vary.)
Something about a data link that either saves and / or transmits the information.
Look at Kearsey's posts; she gets rather detailed with the information. MANY of our members use CPAP's... use the search function above, and above all...best wishes~!
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Make sure the home study is covered by MA. Some MA programs require a full in clinic sleep study.
Hey everyone! I am currently in the process of applying for grants to go to a local trucking school in a few months. I have also been catching up on needed dentist appointments, a physical, etc. due to getting on Medicaid and getting care I had been unable to afford for years. Both my PCP and I suspect that I have sleep apnea due to symptoms/family history and I'm going to get a home sleep study done soon.
My question is this: Assuming I do get diagnosed with sleep apnea and am given a CPAP , how long do I have to be using it to get a DOT medical card? Most of the sleep apnea questions I have read stem from people getting advised by the DOT doctor to get a sleep study and being given a 90-day card to get that done. I'm wondering that if I go for my DOT physical with a recent diagnosis of sleep apnea that I will be prevented from getting any med card until I have X amount of usage. I'm having trouble finding this information on the FMCSA website and was wondering if anyone had any insight. Thanks in advance for the help! :)
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
I also would look into a company training program. You will know right away what is required of the company in terms of CPAP compliance. There is no set Fed regs on it. So it's better to look at individual companies for answers.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
I concur. I work for Prime and they require 30 days record of 4 hours per day if you are diagnosed before coming to Prime.
To remain "compliant" with them, you must have at least 4 hours 70% of the days in a 30 day period.
We also need CPAPs that have a modem and bluetooth connection or at least can be fitted with one. The bluetooth allows our phone apps to see our use percentage Machine are by prescription, so it is important your doctor know this before prescribing
Prime requires our machines to be montiored and they get weekly reports of whether or not we have been using the machine. If we dip below the percentage, they will put us out of service... meaning we are making no money.
Another hurdle you may have is an employment history. If you are using Medicaid.. have you been working the last three years? If not, lack of work history could be an issue and you may have to ask companies what would be suitable documention such as family notarized letters or doctors letters of why you have not been working.
good luck
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Mr V, we have a full guide to Sleep Apnea in the Trucking Wiki. Use the three-bar menu at the top left. Touch on it, a list pops out. Down towards the bottom it says "Trucking Wiki". Touch on the little left ">" next to it to get the Wiki index. Scan down that list to Sleep Apnea for Truckers. Your questions answered.
As for school, feel free to get a grant (free money), or look into Paid CDL Training Programs where the financing is probably interest free, paid off in a year, and you all but have a job when you are accepted into the program.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
Make sure the home study is covered by MA. Some MA programs require a full in clinic sleep study.
Do you mean Medicaid? Thankfully the in-state version of it will cover this for me.
Another hurdle you may have is an employment history. If you are using Medicaid.. have you been working the last three years? If not, lack of work history could be an issue and you may have to ask companies what would be suitable documention such as family notarized letters or doctors letters of why you have not been working.
I have been working the last three years, but only as a 1099 contractor doing gigs like Uber/DoorDash/GrubHub etc. I will have three years of 1099's and tax returns reflecting this by early 2020. I only recently got on Medicaid because the pay on some of these apps got cut to the point where I am barely making any money anymore. I had to start doing it so I could have the flexibility to take care of a family member and still pay my bills. Because of my income dropping so low, I'm eligible for state-funded vocational training (along with other assistance I need, such as SNAP and housing subsidy) that has me looking at a local school rather than a company program at the moment.
Last year Donald Trump got rid of the sleep apnea test as part of a requirement for the medical exam. So you may want to read this. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/how-asleep-should-truck-drivers-be/536058/
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
What the GOV cares/regulates about is different from what carriers require.
Last year Donald Trump got rid of the sleep apnea test as part of a requirement for the medical exam. So you may want to read this. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/how-asleep-should-truck-drivers-be/536058/
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
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Hey everyone! I am currently in the process of applying for grants to go to a local trucking school in a few months. I have also been catching up on needed dentist appointments, a physical, etc. due to getting on Medicaid and getting care I had been unable to afford for years. Both my PCP and I suspect that I have sleep apnea due to symptoms/family history and I'm going to get a home sleep study done soon.
My question is this: Assuming I do get diagnosed with sleep apnea and am given a CPAP , how long do I have to be using it to get a DOT medical card? Most of the sleep apnea questions I have read stem from people getting advised by the DOT doctor to get a sleep study and being given a 90-day card to get that done. I'm wondering that if I go for my DOT physical with a recent diagnosis of sleep apnea that I will be prevented from getting any med card until I have X amount of usage. I'm having trouble finding this information on the FMCSA website and was wondering if anyone had any insight. Thanks in advance for the help! :)
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.